Discharge-valve



Feb. 6, 1934. KLUGE 1,945,941

DI SCHARGE VALVE Filed April 16, 1932 Wvmwo: 16 21 I as I y Patented Feb. 6, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

9 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in discharge-valves for containers and more particularly in discharge-valves for tank-cars and the like, although it is to be understood that the present invention is adapted for employment with a large variety of containers.

It is a common occurrence, in the use of tankcars and the like, for the discharge-valves thereof to develop a leaky condition which may not be observed until the tank-cars have been transported to a point remote from both their base and destination. Under these and similar circumstances, when employing discharge-valves as heretofore constructed, it has been often necessary to shunt the car to a side-track and to arrange for siphoning out or otherwise draining the tank-car contents. This had to be followed by removal of the valve, whereupon an expert operator was required to enter the grimy malodorous tank-car and regrind the valve-seat and the valve to its reground seat.

It is the primary object of this invention to provide a container discharge-valve which will obviate the necessity of draining the container contents or to enter the container to repair any leaky valve condition which may arise. More specifically, the present invention aims to provide a discharge-valve of simple construction and arranged for ready removal of the defective valve and valve-seat, preferably as a unit, and the replacement thereof without requiring drainage of the contents of the tank-car or other device with which the discharge-valve may be employed, and without incurring any substantial loss of the tank-car contents.

A further object of the invention is the provision of means for minimizing the liability of tank-car discharge-valves becoming defective.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide improved means for manipulating .the discharge-valve of tank-cars, for valve-opening and -closing purposes. 1

Other and more specific objects of the inven tion will be apparent from the following description and claims, the invention consisting in the devices, arrangements and combinations of parts hereinafter set forth.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. l is a substantially central vertical section of the improved discharge-valve as applied to the bottom of a tank-car, with the valvemanipulating connections in side elevation. Fig. 2 is a detail illustration of the valve-rod handle camming means, viewed as indicated by the arrows 2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a cross-section of the valve casings substantially on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawing, the tank-car has a bottom wall 1 provided with a discharge-opening 2. Secured by rivets 3 to the under side of the wall 1 is the flanged upper end of a depending tubular outer-valve-casing 4 having at its upper end a conical seat 5 of downwardly constricted form and in vertical alinement with the tankwall opening 2. The lower portion of the outercasing 4 is preferably externally threaded to receive a cap-nut 6 internally provided with an annular shoulder 7 adapted to engage the lower end of the casing 4. It will be apparent, however, that the lower end of the casing 4 might be otherwise provided with removable closing means, as for instance by internally threading the lower portion of said casing and employing an externally threaded plug having a peripheral flange or rib adapted to engage the lower end of the casing.

Wedged tightly upon the seat 5 of the outer casing 4 is the externally conical upper end 8 of a tubular inner-valve-casing 9 diametrically reduced below its conical upper end so as to be disposed within the outer-casing 4 in spaced and substantially parallel relation thereto. The lower portion of the inner-casing 9 is externally threaded to receive a nut 10 adapted to engage a fixed abutment which is in the present case afforded by a buifer-ring 11 rigidly disposed within the outer-casing 4. The nut 10 may have a spanner-groove 12 for employment of a suitable nut-manipulating tool, (not shown), it being understood that by the engagement of the nut 10 with the buffer-ring 11, the upper end 8 of the inner-casing'Q may be drawn to tightly engage its seat 5 upon the outer-casing. The nut 10 is secured by a lock-nut 13 threaded upon the inner-casing 9.

The lower portion of the inner-casing 9 is, preferably, also threaded internally to receive a screw-plug 14 having a peripheral flange or rib 15, adapted to engage the lower end of said innercasing 9 and preferably not exceeding the outer diameter of the casing 9. This arrangement is preferred because it provides for applying or removing the nuts 10 and 13 in the closed condition of the lower end of the casing 9, for a purpose hereinafter explained. It is evident, however, that a cap-nut similar to the cap-nut 6 might be substituted for the screw-plug 14 and it is to be understood that the invention, in its broader aspects, is not limited to the specific screw-plug herein described. The screw-plug 14 has a recess 16 entered by a screw 1'7 threaded into the capnut 6, said screw being normally secured, by a lock-nut 18 and an aperture-sealing washer 19, out of engagement with the screw-plug 14. When the nuts 10 and 13 are removed from the innercasing 9, the screw 17 may be employed for unseating the upper end 8 of the inner casing 9. The screw 17 has a longitudinal bore 20 opening from that end of the screw which projects into the screw-plug recess 16, said bore being intersected by a radial aperture 21 in said screw to thereby provide venting means. In order to limit rotation of the inner-casing 9 during manipulation of the nuts 10 and 13 said casing is peripherally provided with a lug 22 engageable by a stop-screw 23 threaded into the outer-casing 4 against a screw-aperture sealing washer 24.

The upper end of the inner-casing 9 is provided with a conical valve-seat 25 engageable by a suitably shaped valve-member 26. Depending vertically from the reduced lower end of the valve 26 is a stabilizing bar 2'7 which, in the present instance, is threaded into said valve and has at its-opposite end a head'28. The stabilizing bar 27 passes freely through an aperture 29 provided centrally in a diaphram 30 having a plurality ofsegmental openings 31'. Interposed between said diaphragm and the head 28 of the bar is a coil-spring 32 which serves to yieldingly draw the valve; 26 downwardly to engage its seat, thereby holding the valve against chattering and more particularly when the tank-car is empty, thus minimizing the liability of the valve becoming defective.

The reduced upper end or neck 33 of the valve is vertically apertured to loosely receive a valverod 34 of which the lower end is preferably rounded for engagement with the body of the valve when seating, the latter. The valveerod- 34 has'a transverse aperture 35 loosely entered by a cross-pin 36 fixed in and spanning the rod-aperture in the valve-neck. The valve-rod 34 extends upwardly into the usual dome of the tank car, which dome afiords access to the interior of the tank. Slidably mounted upon said rod, within the dome, is a sleeve 37, laterally from which extends a handle 38. Fixed upon the side-wall 39- of the dome is a bracket 40 provided with spaced horizontal arms 41 and 42, disposed at opposite sides of the valve-rod and provided at their free ends with opposed cam-faces 43 and 44 alternately engageable' by the handle 38 to depress and lift said rod. Adjacent to said camfaces, the arms 41 and 42 are provided with loandle-detaining notches 45 and 46 for securing the handle in valve-closed and valve-open positions.

The opposite ends of the sleeve 37 are engaged by springs 47 and 48, coiled about the valve-rod and reacting against nuts 49 and 50 threaded upon the valve-rods, said nuts being preferably secured by look-nuts 51 and 52. The springs 47 and 48'serve to yieldingly hold the handle 38 in the detaining notches 45 and 46 of the arms 41 and 42, in the closed and open positions of the valve 26.

Should any occasion arise for curing a faulty valve condition, the cap-nut 6 is removed, whereupon the nuts 10 and 13 may be unthreaded'from the inner-casing 9 in the casingapplied position of thescrew-plug 14, thus guarding against any substantial loss or waste of the tank-car contents. After removalof the nuts 10 and 13, the capnut 6is again threaded upon the outer-casing 4, until the cap-shoulder 7 tightly engages the lower and means accessibly disposed for manipulation end of the casing. If desired, a suitable gasket may be employed with the cap-nut for insuring against leakage of the contents of the tank-car. The valve-rod handle 38 may now be released from its holding arm 41, after which the screw 17 is manipulated to engage the bottom face of the screw-plug 14 to thereby force the conical upper end 8 of the inner valve-casing upwardly and thereby loosen it from its outer casing seat 5. The valve, together with the inner valve-casing 9, may now be freely lifted by merely pulling upwardly upon the valve-rod 34, and may thus be removed as a unit through the dome of the tank-car. If desired, the valve and valve-seat may then be reground, or a perfect valve be substituted'therefor and secured in the outer valvecasing, whether or not the tank-car is filled and withoutany substantial loss of any tank-car contents. The venting means aiforded by the apertured screw 17 may be employed for ascertaining the existence of a leaky valve condition and also for relieving pressure within the outer-casing 4 when a replacement is being effected, whereby the inner-casing may more readily find its seat 5.

The screw 1'7 furthermore provides means for jamming thecap-nut 6 against inadvertent loosening, this being accomplished by manipulating said screw 17 to tightly engage the screw-plug 14 when the inner-casing is locked rigidly in posifrom the exterior of said container for releasing said casing from the container and permittinglremoval of said casing and valve-member as a unit through the interior of said container.

2. A container having a discharge-opening, a casing operatively secured to said container for removal therefrom and provided with a valveseat in alinement with said opening, means accessibly disposed formanipulation from the exterior of said container for releasing said casing from the container and permitting removal of said casing and valve-member from said container, and means for closing said discharge-opening dur-' ing removal of said casing and valve-member from the container.

3. A container having a discharge-opening, an outer-casing in alinement with said discharge opening and having an inner-casing seat, an inner-casing removably engaging said outer-casing seat and having a valve-seat, a valve-member adapted to engage said valve-seat, means accessibly disposed for manipulation from the exterior of said container for releasing and permitting removal of said inner-casing and valve-member 140 from the container, and means for closing one end of said outer-casing upon said removal of theinher-casing. 1

4. A container having a discharge-opening provided with a casing-seat, a casing removably secured upon said casing-seat and having a valveseat, releasable securing means accessible from the exterior of said container for forcing said V casing into tight engagement with said casingseat upon release of said securing means, a valvemember adapted to engage said valve-seat, means accessibly disposed for manipulation from the exterior of said container for removing said casing and valve-member as a unit through the interior of said container, and closure means applied to said container for maintaining said discharge opening closed during removal of said casing and valve-member from the container.

5. A container having a discharge-opening provided with a casing-seat, a casing removably secured upon said casing-seat and having a valveseat, releasable securing means for forcing said casing into tight engagement with said casingseat, a valve-member adapted to engage said valve-seat, a screw-plug removably threaded upon the outer end of said casing, and a detachable cap-nut closing the outer end of said dischargeopening.

6. A container having a discharge-opening, an outer-casing in alinement with said dischargeopening and having an inner-casing seat, an inner-casing removably engaging said outer-casing and having a valve-seat, a valve-member adapted to engage said valve-seat, a screw-plug threaded upon the outer end of said inner-casing, a detachable cap-nut threaded upon the outer end of said outer-casing, and a screw adjustably threaded into said cap-nut in position to engage said screw-plug to thereby dislodge said innercasing from the outer-casing seat, said screw being apertured to provide normally closed venting means for said outer-casing.

7. A container having a discharge-opening, an outer-casing depending from said container in alinement with said discharge-opening and having an inner-casing seat, an inner-casing removably engaging said outer-casing seat-and having a valve-seat, a nut threaded upon said inner-casing into engagement with an abutment upon said outer-casing to thereby draw said inner-casing into tight engagement with said outer-casing seat, a cap-nut threaded upon the lower end of said outer-casing, a screw-plug threaded into the lower end of said inner-casing, a valve-member adapted to engage said valve-seat, and a valverod disposed within said container and operatively connected with said valve-member.

8. A container having a bottom wall provided with a valve-seat, a valve member adapted to engage said valve-seat, a valve-rod disposed within said container and operatively connected with said valve-member, a valve-rod operating lever slidably disposed upon the valve-rod, springs carried by said valve-rod at opposite sides of said lever yieldingly opposing movements of the lever in opposite directions lengthwise of said rod, and a bracket fixedly carried by said container dis: posed for engagement by said lever under the action of said springs in both valve-open and valve-closed positions of said valve-rod. I

9. A container having abottom wall provided with a valve-seat, a valve-member adapted to engage said valve-seat, a valve-rod disposed within said container and operatively connected with said valve-member, a valve-rod operating lever, a bracket carried by said container having spaced arms disposed upon opposite sides of said valverod, said arms having oppositely directed camsurfaces engageable by said lever, and spring means foryieldingly retaining said lever in en- I 

